Film - In Bruges

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To lump In Bruges in with the usual glut of British gangster/comedy flicks would be like speaking of Kubrick’s TheShining and the Saw series in the same breath: Sacrilege. MartinMcDonagh debut full length filmis more than the sum of its parts:it’s a thoughtful, deeply layered,and significant piece of cinema.
 
While it all seems simple on the surface – a couple of hitmen hold up in Bruges, Belgium, while waiting for the heat from their latest hit to cool – In Bruges is infinitely clever in exploring its chief themes of death, morality, and redemption without you even noticing you were being lectured. There’s enough comedy and exploding heads to keep the Guy Richie gangster crew happy, and more than enough to chew on afterward for the rest of us.
 
While one third of the film’s success is undoubtedly McDonagh’s, the second third belongs squarely to the performers. Colin Farrell stars as the guilt-ridden Ray, a freshly made hitman who is already regretting choosing the profession, with the ever-present and ever-reliable Brendan Gleeson as his more seasoned partner Ken, Ralph Fiennes as their strongly principled boss, and the stunning Clémence Poésy as Farrell’s love interest (damn him).
 
Often it’s not the inherent silliness of the scene or necessarily even the script that makes In Bruges hilarious – most of the time it’s down to the actors’ absolutely spot-on delivery (witness Fiennes’ line describing the city: “It’s just a shame it’s in Belgium, really. But then you figure if it wasn’t in Belgium, if it was somewhere good, there’d be too many people coming to see it”. Not comedy platinum on the page, but his tone manages to make it gut-bustlingly funny.)
 
The last third of the films’ success is Bruges’. It’s an absolutely gorgeous city – like a medieval fairytale or a dream – and a most appropriate background to the plot. I imagine the Belgium tourist board praises McDonagh’s name five times a day. I know I will from now on.